PHILADELPHIA — Jamichael Stillwell earned the nickname “Mr. Stand on Business” during his junior college days at Miami-Dade. UCF’s 6-foot-8, 245-pound senior forward says the phrase is a way of life that goes well beyond basketball.
“That’s the way I live, for real — standing on business, getting it done, just being a man of my word,” Stillwell said. “Doing everything with a passion. Living life to the fullest. Thanking God as the Most High.”
An integral part of the Knights’ March Madness return, Stillwell has been getting it done the past month with two torn ligaments in his right ankle, he told The News-Journal prior to the team’s March 20 opening-round NCAA Tournament game against UCLA (23-11).
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Stillwell, who walked to the team bus for Wednesday’s sendoff wearing a boot around his lower leg, practiced fully at Xfinity Mobile Arena and is expected to start. He has posted eight double-doubles and ranks third in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (3.2 per game).
“Just battling day by day,” Stillwell said. “Trying to not really take off reps in practice, getting treatment and just really resting it.”
Injuries hampered the Knights (21-11) at various points through their 9-9 run through Big 12 play, but the team appears to be in full health — or as close as it can be after a 32-game grind — entering the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore John Bol said he is “ready to go,” though he did not shed light on what happened during UCF’s Big 12 quarterfinal against Arizona. The 7-foot-2 center clutched his chest and needed help to the locker room during the second half.
Senior guard Riley Kugel, who banged his knee on the scorer’s table against Cincinnati, and Jeremy Foumena, who missed UCF’s final two regular-season games, were also spotted as full participants during the open practice.
Kugel, an Orlando native, leads the Knights in scoring at 14.4 points per game while shooting a career-high 39.2% from 3-point range.
UCLA enters the first tournament weekend with lingering injury questions, as well. Leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau suffered a knee sprain in the Bruins’ victory over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, and point guard Donovan Dent, No. 3 in the nation in assists per game, injured his calf the next night against Purdue.
